Across all races and people on earth, rice is life. It is "the grain that shapes different cultures, diets, and economies". Simply, rice is the grain of life that satisfies most of the daily food requirements of more than half of humanity.
Thus, the slogan adopted gives profound meaning to the declaration of 2004 as INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF RICE (IYR). And is elaborated further by the mission statement of IYR:

The IYR promotes improved production and access to this vital food crop which feeds more than half of the world's population while providing income for millions of rice producers, processors, and traders. The development of sustainable rice-based production systems will reduce hunger and poverty and contribute to environmental conservation and a better life for present and future generations for whom Rice is Life.

The declaration reflects the importance of rice, and creates an opportunity to raise global awareness on food security, poverty alleviation, cultural heritage preservation, and sustainable development. It also inspires the global community to focus on achieving the internationally agreed goals set in the Millenium Declaration in 2000, which calls for the reduction of poverty and hunger.

Its declaration in the 57th session of the United Nations General Assembly was chiefly influenced by the Philippines. Together with 40 other nations, the Philippines endorsed to the UN General Assembly in December 2002 a resolution for the declaration of 2004 as International Year of Rice.

In the Philippines, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo issued Proclamation No. 524 providing for the celebration of the International Year of Rice and declaring the month of November as National Rice Awareness Month. The Department of Agriculture leads the IYR observance, while the Philippine Rice Research Institute (Philrice) serves as the National Organizing and Secretariat Task Force of the Steering Committee for the Philippine IYR 2004 celebration.